Marija was born in Belgrade - Serbia in 1976 where she graduated at the University of Fine Arts in 2001 as a Sculptor. Since 2004 she lives in Chicago with her husband, where she is working in art studio as a fine artist and as a graphic and web designer, too. She is multimedia artist. Marija is sculpturing in clay terracotta, and also in 3D programs for sculpturing, she is painting oil on canvas, digital paintings, pastels and water colors. She is illustrator and a photographer, as well. She obtained the highest recognition and many of them are very important awards for her art from the world of renewed critics and curators in Italy, Canada and United States, Latin America, South Korea, and Serbia. One of them is Oscar Academy Awards for the Best Artist of the Year 2016 by foundation Costanza. The international critics placed her among the Best Contemporary Artists of the 21 century in many important books and publications. Some of her works are already in the museums. She exhibited art in different media in 2009 at Las Vegas Southern Nevada Museum of Contemporary Art where her pastel "Bridge" was kept permanently. In 2010 She was selected to be among 10 most popular artists on the internet by New York Arts magazine by Abraham Lubelski and Basak Malone. Selection of the best artists The South Korean exhibition, in The Haegeumgang Theme Museum for Environment, Human, Nature, Coexistence, where one of her works "The Eye of The Sky" will be kept permanently. Europe Art Museum in Denmark will keep her Photography Portrait in the Mirror after the exhibition. Artist are selected and Approved, each one is presented their country as a Leading Contemporary Artist of the beginning of 21 century. Curated by Leif Nielson . Photography "Portrait in the Mirror" was exhibited on MENSA photo cup 2005 in Belgrade and received high grades by domestic and international critics including Emir Kusturca famous film director. Later this work was exhibited at New York Art Expo. Also, she was exhibiting in group and solo exhibitions in Belgrade, New York, Miami, Chicago, Palermo, Venice, Florence, Milano, Rome.

What is for me the emotion to be an artist? Emotion is the what moves me to create. Inspiration is always connected with a strong feeling that urges me to make a new art piece. The stronger is the feeling, the better is the artwork that comes out of it. Artwork is born from the love of the Universe for the people. If Universe is alive than Art is alive in the same way.

When I create my works, I do this straight off or I think my works and I elaborate them before? I always see the clear picture of my future artwork completed, in my mind, and this happens often before I fall a sleep. I am with my art piece inside my dreams. However, the way I take them out from there into reality is by memorising them. Dreaming is like a process that will bring my ideas to the light of the day. Sometimes I see my artworks completed during the hours when I am technically awake but again I have the vision of the art piece during the daydreaming periods. I believe that brain has to be in different stage of working to invent the original new art. At lees that is my experience.

Is the world only source of inspiration or confrontation with other artists? The life we live exists only in the present moment. That is all that exists. Past is only a memory and nothing has the meaning unless we give it the meaning to. Artists are like all other people that are trying to make the present moment better, by working on the meanings of what is surrounding them. The only difference is that Artists are aware of it, while the other people are not.

When I create I’m conscious that I transmit a message. What would it like the answer of my public? The answer of my public is under the level of their conscience. They just now they love my work because it heals them. I know that using mathematical calculations and trying to find geometrical perfection in my artwork is not the way to understand its meaning. The only way is through the collective unconscious (C. Jung) that is holding all the meanings of its symbols already deep in herself, while we are growing our colours of life from there. So collective unconscious is where I take my symbols out. That is why they communicate strongly with a viewer. Healing part I mentioned, which my artwork contains as a message, is just a piece of the puzzle which makes me an unstoppable creator. Because the Observation of the artwork by the public and exploring its meanings is the constant performance of the artist, if his artwork has the depth that can give them constant interest.

How much important is the dialogue with the great artists of the past and which of them I appreciate more? The dialog with great artists of the past is always important. The best away to do it is by carefully observing the art they left behind. The key inside their message will find you if that sop oust to happen. If it is meant to be that it was look for you and the door was there all the time, you just needed to knock. The question is why some people are found by that key in the artworks of great masters, just by observation, while other are not even if they are the real art lovers, that are deserving every admiration. I guess this situation is similar to the legend about the sword in the rock that was only waiting for king Arthur. The dialog between great masters and contemporary masters is in better words, their bond, and their destiny.

Is Art the rigor of the rules, freedom of expression or a compromise between them? The art is freedom of expression, but not every freedom of expression is art. On the other hand, the art is not the rigor of the rules, which doesn’t mean that every rigor of the rules is there not to be broken. Art is the spiritual constant that is growing form the seed of the rules of freedom. That is way art is always the part of a real revolution, which is the revolution of the mind. The real change will always come from inside.

Did I ever think to renounce making Art? No, that is not possible for an artist. Could fish ever decide to live out of water?

Did I ever express myself with other forms of Art (writings, poetry, music, etc.)? Yes I did. I was writing critic in 15 years ago and before I started my visual arts carrier. I always like to write. One the other hand my musical talent goes toward dancing.